


Valentine's Day

by Cithara



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, HP: EWE, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-06 23:11:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14067642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cithara/pseuds/Cithara
Summary: A short, sweet, fluffly little one-shot about Sev and Harry and Valentine's Day.





	Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day

Severus Snape did not do Valentine's Day. Such a declaration had never been made, but nobody needed an official announcement to know that this was a fact. No one was more aware of this than Harry, and as the cherubic holiday rolled around, the first one that Harry was going to be spending with Severus as a couple, he prepared himself to let it pass just like any other day.

It didn't really bother him; he wasn't particularly disposed to the trappings of the sickly-sweet day, and pink hearts and red roses did little to excite him. Besides, he reasoned, his and Severus' one-year anniversary was only a couple of weeks away, and that was a far more important date as far as he was concerned.

He was nervous about it, if he were honest. Whilst he fully expected Severus to let Valentine's Day pass without so much as a glance in its direction, if he did the same thing when it came to their anniversary, then that was going to hurt.

"Morning," he said quietly as he padded from Severus' bedroom out into the living room. He was aware of the fact that the man was most certainly not a morning person, and, as he was on Severus' territory, he was prepared to temper himself to keep him happy.

"Good morning," Severus replied, not looking up from the paper he was reading. "There's some coffee left, it should still be warm."

"Oh that's ok thanks, I need to get back up to my rooms and grab a few things for today's lessons. I meant to bring them down with me last night but it went straight out of my head," Harry said, retrieving his shoes and taking a seat on the sofa to put them on.

"Busy day ahead?" Severus asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

Harry sighed and said, "No more than usual, but you know what it's like around here on Valentine's Day, the kids go bloody crazy and you have to constantly keep one step ahead of them. They're bad enough at the best of times, let alone when they're pumped full of sugar."

Severus raised an eyebrow and said, "Is that hideous holiday upon us once again?"

Harry smiled, realising that he now had his answer; Severus wasn't even aware that it was Valentine's Day, there would be no marking the occasion after all.

"I'm afraid so. Not part of your lesson plan to brew a perfect love potion today then?" Harry asked with a grin.

Severus folded the paper and put it to one side as he said, "It hasn't been so for 20 years, I don't feel the need to introduce it now."

"Just think of all those poor students you'll be disappointing," Harry said, getting up and moving to the little table where Severus was sitting, placing his hands on the man's shoulders and leaning down to press a light kiss the man's cheek.

"I'll survive under the burden of guilt," Severus replied, reaching up and laying a hand on top of Harry's.

"I'm sure you will," Harry said, nuzzling his nose against Severus' temple lightly. "I'd better go, I want to change my clothes before lessons start."

"Will I see you later?" Severus asked, tilting his head to look up at Harry.

"I have a full day and a detention to oversee at lunch, but I'll come by this evening if that's ok?"

"I'd have something to say if you didn't," Severus said smoothly before leaning forward and capturing Harry's lips in a kiss.

"I'll see you later then," Harry said, giving the man's shoulder a light squeeze before heading towards the door, stopping with his hand on the handle to turn slightly and say softly, "Love you."

He was on the other side of the door about to shut it behind him when he heard the very soft reply, "You too."

* * *

Harry's day was just as he had expected. It always threw him a little when he slept over at Severus' and had to return to his to change his clothes or grab his paperwork for the day. He had considered broaching the idea of keeping a few things in Severus' quarters, just some space in a drawer or a little room in the man's wardrobe, but he wasn't sure how well the request would go down.

It was true that he spent most of his evenings in the man's quarters, and that more often or not he would end up staying over, but he wasn't sure that Severus would welcome the kind of intrusion that making room for some of his things would signify.

He knew how private the man was, and how he valued his space, and he tried to give him that wherever possible. He tried not to spend too many nights in a row and always tried to make as little noise as he could, although he had to admit that he found he fit very easily into Severus' lifestyle.

At least twice a week they would have dinner privately in Severus' rooms rather than at the staff table in the Great Hall, and each would take turns to cook. They spent their evenings marking the mountains of work they had or planning for the weeks ahead, and Harry had been surprised how easily they had come to work around each other's rhythms.

Weekends were always a quiet but pleasant affair. Severus always spent the whole of Saturday brewing; he had stocks to replenish for the hospital wing and had several research projects on the go that required a great deal of time and effort. While he worked, Harry would go and visit Ron and Hermione, or would spend the day with Teddy, giving Andromeda a break. Very often he and Severus would take a stroll into Hogsmeade or even pop to London for dinner in the evening, ending up back in Severus' quarters and tumbling into bed together.

They then wouldn't leave bed until much later on Sunday morning after they had had a leisurely breakfast over the morning papers. Later they would take a long walk in the surrounding acres, weather permitting, or would visit The Burrow, returning later to snuggle up on the sofa with a good book, or to enjoy a conversation that could often turn into a full-on debate.

Harry put the final mark on a stack of 5th years essays he had set debating the ethics of using Unforgiveables in a life or death situation and looked up to check on the two students who were serving detention with him. He hid a smile as he thought how useful detentions were when his classroom needed cleaning.

He heard the flutter of wings and he looked to the window in time to see Hedwig swooping towards him. "Hello girl," he said softly as she held out her leg and he removed the scroll from it. He recognised Severus' familiar elegant scrawl and he unrolled it to read:

_Harry,_

_Apologies, but I must break our arrangement tonight. I finally have the chance to meet with a supplier I've been trying to pin down for months and I can't pass up the opportunity._

_I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast._

_Severus_

Harry couldn't help but feel a little disappointed; he knew they didn't have plans and that nothing special was going to happen, but still, he always looked forward to finishing the day by seeing Severus, sharing a glass or two of wine and eventually migrating to the bedroom.

He sighed and chucked the letter in the bin, his attention suddenly caught by the sound of a firecall coming from his office. He was sure he had heard Ron's voice and he suddenly felt the need to speak to his best friend. He glanced towards his pupils and said,

"Alright, you'd better call it a day so you can go and grab some lunch before lessons start again."

"Yes Professor," said Staunton, chucking down his cleaning rag.

"If I catch you two fighting in the corridors again I'll be thinking of a much more inventive detention than simple cleaning."

"Yes sir," said Phillips, glancing across at Staunton with a barely contained glare. Harry was sure that he'd be breaking up another fight in less than a week's time. They filed out of the classroom and Harry moved into his office, where he found Ron's head bobbing in the flames.

"Hey mate, what's up?" he asked, kneeling down to speak to his friend.

"Just wondering if you fancied a pint after work," Ron said with a smile.

"Don't you have Valentine's plans with Draco?"

"No, he's on placement all this week, we're going to do something on Sunday instead."

"Ok then, a drink sounds good actually. I've just found out that I've been stood up so congratulations, you've been bumped up to my first choice."

"You know just what to say to make a guy feel special."

* * *

"Oh come on mate, you knew you weren't going to get flowers and chocolates from him," said Ron as Harry brought their second round back to the table.

"I know," Harry said with a sigh, taking a sip of his whisky. He had never really been a whisky drinker, but since Severus had introduced him to a couple of good bottles, he had begun to appreciate the subtle flavours that a really good glass could contain. "And I wasn't expecting anything, I was just looking forward to seeing him tonight, that's all."

Ron nodded and said, "There'll be other nights. Are you sure you're not bothered about Valentine's Day?"

Harry tapped on the side of his glass for a moment before saying, "No, no I've never been bothered about it, it's a ridiculous non-holiday that was only made up to sell chocolate after the post-Christmas lull."

Ron raised an eyebrow and said, "Way to sell it to those of us who are actually planning on celebrating it."

"Sorry mate," said Harry with a snort. "I really…I'm really not bothered that we're not spending Valentine's Day together…it's just…"

"Just what?" Ron prompted gently.

Harry chewed his bottom lip for a moment before taking another sip of his whisky and saying, "What if he lets our anniversary go by in the same way? What if he just isn't bothered?"

"Ah…I see," said Ron with a knowing smile. "Do you really think that that's going to happen?"

Harry stared into his drink and couldn't help the slightly dubious feeling that settled in the pit of his stomach. "Maybe," he said quietly. "I don't know Ron, he's not exactly the most romantic man on the planet, and that's fine with me, I don't want him to be…but if he lets our anniversary go by without so much as a card…it'll really bloody hurt."

"It's not going to happen mate, he's head over heels for you, you know that," Ron said, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I know, I know. I'm being an idiot," Harry sighed. "It's just…a romantic gesture once in a while wouldn't hurt."

Ron put his drink to one side and laced his fingers together, regarding Harry closely for a second before he said gently, "Harry, don't you think that a lot of what he's already done could count as romantic gestures?"

"I don't follow," Harry said with a frown.

Ron rolled his eyes but gave Harry an indulgent smile nevertheless. "Harry, you've taken up with one of the most intensely private men in existence and yet…he openly acknowledged your relationship from the second the two of you got together, and did so proudly. He isn't a demonstrative man but he kisses you and hugs you in public, he's even danced with you on a couple of occasions! You know what he's like about socialising but still, he comes to lunch at The Burrow and puts up with the _entirety_ of my family and my mum's attempts to mother him to death because he knows it's important to you. I know that all these things aren't candlelit dinners and love letters…but I think they're better than that, don't you?"

Harry dipped his head, suddenly feeling rather foolish, and said, "Since when did you become his biggest fan?"

Ron laughed and said, "Since I realised he made my best friend deliriously happy. He's a good bloke Harry, and you make each other happy. All this other stuff is just…irrelevant."

"You're right, of course you're right," Harry said with a sigh. Everything Ron had said he had already told himself a million times, but sometimes it helped to have a third party put it all in perspective and give a voice to thoughts that risked going unsaid.

He drained the rest of his glass and said, "I think I'm going to head back up to the castle, I fancy an early one."

Ron glanced at his watch and said, "Yeah, you should be fine to go back now."

"What?" Harry asked with a frown.

Ron's ears turned slightly pink and he cleared his throat before saying, "I mean…you should be fine to go to bed without…messing up your sleep pattern. Don't want to go to bed too early after all."

"You're getting stranger with age, Ron," Harry told him as he rose from the table. "I'll see you at dinner on Sunday, give my love to Drake."

"Will do," said Ron with a salute as Harry made his way out of the pub.

Despite it being February, it was a relatively mild night, so Harry decided to walk the pleasant route back up the castle. He passed several loved-up couples, including a few of his 7th years, who had been granted permission to leave the castle for the special evening, as long as they were all back by 10pm.

He pondered Ron's words as he walked. The man was right; everything that Severus did proved the depth of his feelings, and Harry didn't need grand gestures and meaningless presents to back that up. Severus was always going to want to do things in as understated a way as possible, and it was up to Harry to realise and respect that. He had chosen Severus after all, and he had chosen him knowing exactly what kind of man he was, and loving him both because of and in spite of his flaws.

He made it back to the castle and headed for his rooms, which were on the 3rd floor, and, although not as big as Severus' quarters, they suited him well enough. He got to the door and frowned when he didn't feel the usual give of the wards as he approached. He placed his hand on the handle but the door wouldn't budge.

"What the hell?" Harry muttered, stepping back to glare at the door as though it would open if it recognised just how irritated he was. It didn't, of course, and Harry stood there wondering what had happened and why he couldn't get in to his own quarters. He was about to extract his wand and blast the damn thing off its hinges when he noticed a bit of parchment sticking out from underneath it.

He bent down and picked it up, surprised to recognise Severus' handwriting in one simple sentence.

 _Come to my rooms_.

Harry frowned at it, wondering what was going on; Severus was meant to be with a supplier, why was he summoning him to his rooms and why couldn't he get past his own door?

He sighed and decided that resistance was futile and made his way down to the dungeons, stopping outside Severus' door and knocking loudly. He heard the firm 'come in' from the other side and did as instructed, stopping on the threshold and staring at the sight that greeted him.

The room was bathed in candlelight and Severus was standing in the middle, holding two glasses of champagne.

"What the…I thought you were busy?" he said as he closed the door behind him.

Severus inclined his head, indicating for Harry to move closer, and he did, accepting the glass of champagne that Severus offered him. "What's going on?" he asked, feeling as though he had stepped into a parallel universe.

"Is this not what one is supposed to do on Valentine's Day?" Severus asked with a slight smirk.

"Well…some people might…but not you," Harry said, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Oh? And why not me?" Severus asked smoothly.

"Because…it's not…it's not very you, is it?"

"And weren't you expecting something of this nature?" Severus asked, wearing an expression that Harry couldn't decipher.

He shook his head. "No I wasn't…I mean I _really_ wasn't. I know you don't buy into all of this stuff and I don't blame you. I honestly didn't expect anything."

"I know," Severus said quietly, his expression softening into a gentle smile. He placed his glass of champagne down on the nearby table and moved closer, taking Harry's champagne and placing it on the table also before he took Harry's hands in his own. "It's true that I'm not the sort of man who is given to these sorts of holidays, nor am I particularly comfortable with traditional romantic overtures…but this is the first Valentine's that I have had the privilege of being with someone I love."

Harry's stomach flipped at Severus' declaration. He was aware of how Severus felt about him, but the man was not particularly disposed to saying very often. It had bothered him at first, but the more he thought about it, the more special it felt on the occasions that Severus did say it.

"I love you too," Harry said with a smile, "and honestly, that's more important to me than any holiday."

Severus raised an eyebrow and said, "So you won't be wanting your present then?"

Harry grinned and said, "Ooh well if you're going to bring presents into the equation, there's really no way I can say no."

Severus stepped back slightly and eyed Harry with a teasing smile. "You're standing in it," he said, and Harry looked down at his feet, causing Severus to let out a bark of laughter. "You're so bloody literal sometimes," he said, grabbing the man's hand and pulling him into his arms. "Harry, will you move in here with me?"

Harry was stunned for a moment. He held on to Severus' shoulders and blinked at him, waiting to see if the man would crack and reveal it to have been a joke. "Are you…are you serious?" he asked, his voice low.

"Do you think I would ask you if I weren't?" Severus asked, one hand settling in the small of Harry's back and rubbing in small circles, a gesture that Harry was very familiar with, and one that always made him feel a little soppy.

"You really want me to move in? I mean…I know what you're like about privacy, and I wouldn't want to disrupt your life."

Severus snorted and said, "Harry, you've already done that." Harry gave him a playful whack on the shoulder and he said, "You spend all of your time here, we…share a life, I'd like us to share a home too." Severus reached up and brushed the hair from Harry's forehead and said softly, "I hate it when you go back to your rooms, and I hate sleeping without you. So…what do you say?"

Harry was still feeling a little shell-shocked, his mind reeling, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling and pulling himself up against the man's body. "I can't think of anything that would make me happier," he said before leaning forward and meeting the man's lips in a deep and sensual kiss.

"Wow," he said as he pulled back, "what the hell are you going to do to top this on our anniversary?"

Severus gave him a wry smile and said, "Anniversary? When would that be then?"

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know about you guys, but I really couldn't give a stuff about Valentine's Day, but I do enjoy the chocolate it inevitably brings with it ; )


End file.
